QuoteReplyTopic: Perfume from His Sayings Posted: 19 April 2016 at 2:59am

An-Nawwas ibn Sam’aan reported that Prophet Muhammad said:"Righteousness is good character, and sin is whatever bothers you and you do not want people to know." (Saheeh Muslim)An-Nawwas
ibn Sam’aan is a famous companion of Prophet Muhammad. He belonged to
the Arab tribe of Kelaab and settled in Syria after the death of the
Prophet.

His report is collected by a scholar of hadeeth
named Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj, who was born in 817 CE in the city of
Naishapur, in north-eastern Iran, and died there at the age of 58, in
875 CE. Muslim began studying the science of Prophetic hadeeth at the
age of 15 and traveled to Iraq, Hijaz (Western Saudi Arabia), Syria, and
Egypt to study under great hadeeth masters like al-Bukhari, Ahmad ibn
Hanbal, and others. He compiled a book containing some 9,200 hadeeths
which is known as Saheeh Muslim. Muslim scholars consider it to be the
most authentic compilation of Prophetic hadeeths after Saheeh
al-Bukhari.

This narration is important in that it sheds
light on some of the more subtle aspects of righteousness and sin,
helping to define them both. Since Islam gives so much importance to
the belief in and worship of One God, one may incorrectly think that
this alone is enough to be righteous. This hadeeth, however, shows that
one of the main consequences of correct and true belief is good
character, and that it is an intrinsic aspect of the meaning of
righteousness. It emphasizes some of the meanings found in the saying
of God which mentions that righteousness, as well as a being a
combination of correct belief and prescribed worship, is also proper
conduct in human relations:

"Righteousness is not that you
turn your faces to the east and the west [in prayer]. But righteous is
the one who believes in God, the Last Day, the Angels, the Scripture and
the Prophets; who gives his wealth in spite of love for it to kinsfolk,
orphans, the poor, the wayfarer, to those who ask and to set slaves
free. And (righteous are) those who pray, pay alms, honor their
agreements, and are patient in (times of) poverty, ailment and during
conflict. Such are the people of truth. And they are the God-Fearing."
(Quran 2:177)Rather than being an end in itself, one of the main
purposes of worship is to bring about traits beneficial to the self and
society. God says about the salah (prayer):"Surely, the salah prevents lewd acts and bad deeds…" (Quran 29:45)

Hence one can say without any qualms that Islam as a whole came to perfect good manners, as did the Prophet himself:"Indeed I was only sent to complete the most noble character traits." (Saheeh Muslim)As
Islam is not a mere religion but a complete way of life, incorporating
all of its various facets and aspects, good manners is actually regarded
as a means of worship by which one may achieve the same reward of doing
other more obvious voluntary acts of worship. The Prophet, may the
mercy and blessings of God be upon him, stated:"Through his manners
and good conduct, the believer can attain the status of a person who
frequently fasts and prays at night." (Abu Dawud)Rather, the Prophet even stated it to be one of the best forms of worship, second to none but the obligatory mandates of Islam:"On
the Day of Resurrection, nothing will be heavier in the scale (of good
deeds) of the believer than good conduct. God hates the one who swears
and hurls obscenities." (Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi)

Through maintaining good conduct, one becomes one of the beloved servants of God. The Prophet said:"The most beloved slaves of God to God are those who have the best manners." (Al-Hakim)

When
one realizes the importance of good character and its essentiality in
defining righteousness, an aspect which is the goal of Islam, this
exhorts Muslims to fulfill this aspect of faith as well, since one can
not become "righteous" through mere belief and devotion to God in
themselves without good character.But what is regarded as good
character? We find that the Quran and Sunnah in various texts define it
to be any trait that is beneficial to humans, both to oneself as well
as to others, at the same time not being generally or specifically
prohibited by Islam. For example, God says:

"Those who suppress their anger, and forgive other people – assuredly, God loves those who do good." (Quran 3:134)Righteousness is dealing fairly, justly and politely with one’s family. The Prophet said:"The
believers with the most perfect faith are those with the most perfect
conduct and manners. And the best ones amongst you are those who are
best to their families." (Al-Tirmidhi)

Truthfulness is an essential aspect of good character which leads to Paradise. The Prophet said:"Indeed truthfulness is righteousness, and indeed righteousness leads to Paradise." (Saheeh Muslim)These
are but a few examples of the numerous texts which define and exhort
Muslims to excel in their character and manner. Although righteousness
is those deeds which are naturally pleasing to the conscience of humans,
religion plays a vital role in defining what it is. For example,
anything of which its harm is greater than its good cannot be defined as
righteousness, even if it may be otherwise regarded as goodness and
righteousness. The Prophet said:"It is not righteousness that you fast during travel." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)Although
fasting is one of the most meritorious of deeds, here it is not
considered righteousness due to the harm it may incur to the individual
and his comrades during a journey. Also, to steal from the rich in
order to give to the poor may not be regarded as righteousness, as
stealing has been specifically prohibited in the religion.At the
same time, a deed which may sometimes be seen as harsh may also be
considered good character at times, such as striking a child at a
certain age as a means of education. The Prophet said:"Command your children to pray when they are seven, and strike them [if they do not] when they are ten…" (Abu Dawud)For this reason, we look to divine guidance in order to define for us good manners and character, exemplified by the Prophet,

as God said:"Surely, you (O Muhammad) are upon a high standard of moral character." (Quran 68:4)God also said:"Indeed in the Messenger of God you have a beautiful example of conduct to follow…" (Quran 33:21)Aisha, the wife of the noble Prophet, was asked about his character. She replied:"His character was that of the Quran." (Saheeh Muslim, Abu Dawud)

the Prophet mentioned another subtle aspect of sin, which is that sin is
anything which bothers a righteous person’s conscience and which a
person seeks to hide from others. An array of actions comes into a
person’s mind once they hear these words.God has inspired within each soul the ability, although limited, to recognize truth from falsehood."He inspired it (the soul) to know its sin and its piety." (Quran 91:As
long as a person seeks righteousness, they will know when they have
done something wrong through their conscience, even though they might
find numerous ways to excuse themselves for what they are doing. They
would never like anyone to come to know of that thing, for they are
ashamed of it; their religion is enriched with shyness, shame and
bashfulness.

The Prophet said:"Shame and bashfulness is from the perfection of faith." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)Shame is something which can prevent a person from committing evil. The Prophet said:"If you have no shame, then do as you please." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)Shame,
the highest level being shameful in front of God from committing sins,
is a key factor in avoiding sin, and this standard may also be used to
judge whether or not an act is a sin.These sentiments of conscience
and shame are a natural consequence to true belief and faith, and this
is what the religion of Islam seeks to create within an individual, an
Islamic conscience which guides humans through their lives.This
inner conscience is what tells the state of the heart of the individual,
whether it is alive seeking the truth, or dead, filled with the desires
of this worldly life. Lack of religiosity and indulging in sin causes a
person to lose one’s conscience, and it can no longer be used as a
source of guidance."…why then did they not believe with humility?
But their hearts became hardened, and Satan made fair seeming to them
that which they used to do." (Quran 6:43)

"Have they not
traversed through the land, and have they heart with which they
perceive, or ears with which they hear? Indeed it is not the sight
which is blinded, but rather what is blinded is the hearts which are in
the breasts." (Quran 22:46)The heart can be used as a guide, in
conjunction with the intellect and revelation, in order to ease the
search for the truth. The heart of one who is searching for the truth
is indeed one which is alive, for it is this life and yearning which
causes them to search for it. This type of person will never find peace
at heart in any other religion except the religion which God

ordained
for humanity, and as long as their yearning for the truth exists, their
conscience will continue to bother them until they find the true
religion of God. Indeed if the person is sincere, God will guide them
to the truth:"And those who desire Guidance, He (God) will increase
them in Guidance, and inspire them with [the way to] piety." (Quran
47:17)ما الأديان الأخرى التي اخبرت عن قدوم النبي ؟ يجيب دكتور ذاكر نايك

It is a Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to
visit the sick. We should always visit those who are sick because it
helps us to reflect and take heed, as those who are ill are close to
Allah Ta’ala. We have only to consider that the sick person has no one
to call but Allah, nothing to reflect on but Allah, and his condition
reminds us of the blessing of health.

Hadrat Abu Hurairah رضى الله تعالى عنه reports
that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “On the Day of Qiyaamah, Allah
Ta’ala will announce: O son of Aadam, I was sick yet you did not visit
me. He will reply, ‘O Allah, how could I have visited You since you are
Rabbul ‘aalameen? Allah Ta’ala will say: Did you not know that so and so
slave of mine was sick, and yet you did not visit him? Should you have
visited him you would have found Me by him.” [Sahih Muslim]

Hadrat
Ali رضى الله تعالى عنه reports that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
said, ‘When a Muslim visits his sick Muslim brother in the morning,
seventy thousand angels make dua for his forgiveness till the evening.
And when he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels make dua
for his forgiveness till the morning, and he will be granted a garden
for it in Jannah.’ [Timizi, Abu Dawood]

Hadrat Anas
رضى الله تعالى عنه reports that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said,
‘When a person performs a proper wudhu (observing all its etiquette) and
then goes to visit his sick Muslim brother with the intention of
gaining sawaab, then he will be kept far away from the Fire of Jahannam
by a distance equivalent of Sixty years.’ [Abu Dawood]

Our
Beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also said, ‘Whoever visits a sick
person (for the pleasure of Allah), a Caller from the skies announces:
You are indeed blessed and your walking is blessed and you have (by this
noble act) built yourself a home in Jannah.’ [Ibn Maajah]

Hadrat
Ibn Abbaas رضى الله تعالى عنه relates: It is part of the Sunnah that
when you visit a sick person, you should shorten your visit to him and
make the least amount of noise by him. [Mishkaat]

Once our
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘The best type of visit to a sick
person is when the visitor gets up to leave without delay.’ [Bayhaqi]

If
we act upon these simple teachings, then the visitors to a hospital
will no longer remain a problem for those who are in charge of the
administration of hospitals.

Hadrat Umm Salmah رضى الله عنها
relates that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘When you visit a sick
person or (go to the home of) someone who has died, then speak only
what is good, for the angels say ‘aameen’ to whatever you will say.’
[Sahih Muslim]

Hadrat Abu Sa’eed Khudri رضى الله تعالى عنه
reports that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘When you visit a sick
person, speak in a reassuring way to him (about his age and his life).’
(For instance, tell him, ‘Alhamdulillah, your health has improved’ or
‘Inshaa Allah you will get better soon.’) Saying this will not delay
what is predestined, but it will certainly make him feel happy.’
[Tirmizi, Ibn Maajah]المقطع الذي تم حجبه في امريكا وأوروبا خوفاً من دخول الناس في الإسلام

Cheating and deception are despicable characteristics that are beneath a
decent person. Intentionally distorting the truth in order to mislead
others contradicts the values of honesty, which requires an attitude of
sincerity, straightforwardness, and fairness that leaves no room for
cheating, lying, trickery, or deceit. There are many texts from the
Quran and the Sunnah conveying the meaning that cheating, whether the
target be Muslims or non-Muslims, is forbidden.

Accepting the
guidance of Islam leads a person to truthfulness, which means a person
completely avoids cheating, cheating, and back-stabbing. The Prophet of
Islam said:"Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and whoever cheats us is not one of us." (Saheeh Muslim)According
to another report, the Prophet passed by a pile of food in the market.
He put his hand inside it and felt dampness, although the surface was
dry. He said:"O owner of the food, what is this?’The man said, ‘It was damaged by rain, O Messenger of God.’He
said, ‘Why did you not put the rain-damaged food on top so that people
could see it! Whoever cheats us is not one of us." (Saheeh Muslim)

Muslim
society is based on purity of feeling, love, sincerity towards every
Muslim, and fulfillment of promises to every member of society. Its
members are endowed with piety, truthfulness, and faithfulness.
Cheating and deception are alien characters in contrast to the noble
character of a true Muslim. There is no room in it for swindlers,
double crossers, tricksters, or traitors.Islam views cheating and
deception as heinous sins, a source of shame to the one guilty of
committing them, both in this world and the next. The Prophet, may the
mercy and blessings of God be upon him, did not merely denounce them by
excluding them from the Muslim community in this world, he also
announced that on the Day of Judgment every traitor would be raised
carrying the flag of his betrayal. A caller will cry out from the vast
arena of judgment, pointing to him, drawing attention to him:

"Every
traitor will have a banner on the Day of Resurrection and it will be
said: This is the betrayer of so-and-so." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)The
shame of traitors – men and women - will be immense. Those who thought
that their betrayal had been forgotten will find it right there, exposed
for the whole world to see on banners raised high held by their own
hands!Their shame will increase even more when they meet with the
Prophet of Mercy, the advocate of the sinners on that terrifying and
horrible Day. Their crime is of such enormity that it will deprive them
of divine mercy and the Prophet’s intercession. The Prophet of Islam
said:

"God said: There are three whom I will oppose on the
Day of Resurrection: a man who gave his word and then betrayed it; a man
who sold a free man into slavery and kept the money; and a man who
hired someone, benefited from his labor, then did not pay his wages."
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari)One should steer clear of all the various forms
of deceit and deception present in today’s society. Cheating is common
in examinations, business transactions, and even between spouses and
loved ones. Placing a label on

domestically-made products to
make it seem that it is imported is a kind of fraud. Some people give
wrong advice when their council is sought and thus deceive the person
who believes he is getting good advice. An employee should do the job
for what he is paid for without any deception or cheating. Rulers rig
the ballot to win elections and cheat the whole nation. Cheating
between spouses and having extra-marital affairs is widespread in modern
society. A Muslim should value himself too highly to be among those
who cheat or deceive perchance one might fall in the category of
hypocrites about whom the Prophet said:

"There are four
characteristics, whoever has all of them is a true hypocrite, and
whoever has one of them has one of the qualities of a hypocrite until he
gives it up: when he is trusted, he betrays; when he speaks, he lies;
when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he disputes, he resorts
to slander." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)Therefore, a Muslim
who has true Islamic sensitivities avoids deceit, cheating, treachery,
and lying no matter what benefits or profits such activities might bring
him, because Islam considers those guilty of such deeds to be
hypocrites.

{Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.} (Al-Israa' 17:1)

There is no doubt that Al-Isra (the night journey) followed by Al-Miraj (the heavenly ascension) was one of the miracles in the life of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). According to the most accepted view, it happened on the 27th of Rajab, the seventh month of the Hijri calendar, in the tenth year of Muhammad's prophethood.

It is reported in Hadith literature, that the Messenger of Allah was carried from the Sacred Mosque in Makkah to the "Farthest Mosque" (Al-Masjid al-Aqsa) in Jerusalem on a creature called Al-Buraq in the company of the archangel Gabriel (peace be upon him). There he led a congregational prayer of the prophets of God.

Then Gabriel took him to the heavens where he met the prophets Adam, John, Jesus, Idris, Aaron and Moses (peace be on them all). In the seventh heaven, he met Abraham (peace be on him).

He was then brought to the Divine Presence. The details of this encounter are beautifully detailed in the beginning of surat An-Najm (52).

Prayer: God-given Gift

During this time, Allah ordered for his nation fifty daily Prayers. But on the Prophet's return, he was told by Prophet Moses (peace be on him) that his followers could not perform fifty Prayers. Thus, he went back and eventually it was reduced to five daily Prayers. After this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned to Makkah on the same night itself.

Therefore, Muslims should be thankful to Allah for this gift. They should take care of it and never neglect it. It is the thing that allows the Muslim to communicate with the creator five times as day.

Time and Space Are Not Bound for Allah

One major lesson of that miraculous event, was that space and time which are bound by laws of nature for humans, are not so bound for Allah. On that night prophet Muhammad bridged time and space and this world, traveling to the heavens by Allah's will.

I believe that for those who study philosophy the abstract as well as the symbolic implications of the event might be very stimulating indeed. The gap between the reality of this life and that of the life to come simply diminished. This is illustrated by the Prophet's encounter with other prophets who were long since dead as far as we normally think of it but who, in reality, live as beings in a different form somewhere else.

The implications of the night journey cannot be overstated. The miraculous nature of the Prophet's journey established his divine-stated legitimacy as the seal of all prophets. Allah brought him to Him to show us his true worth in the sight of Allah.

All religious traditions share the concept of miracles, that is, something that defies logic, nature, or the established constitution and course of things.

We will limit our discussion to legitimate miracles from Allah, which are by definition the only true miracles. When the forces of disbelief are strong, typically the prophetic miracles that oppose them are stronger.

Prophet Moses was given several miracles, which included his staff that turned into a massive snake and culminated in his parting of the Red Sea, as a divine response to the extreme infidelity of Pharaoh.

Similarly, Prophet Jesus was given even the power to raise the dead, in order to establish his legitimacy before the Jews who would ultimately condemn him to death for blasphemy. Nevertheless, his miracles were undeniable by their nature, and it was only the obstinacy and arrogance of the people to whom he was sent that enabled them to deny him.

Muhammad's night journey was obviously not easy for the pagan Makkans to believe. Nevertheless, the Prophet proved it logically by describing the approaching caravans that he overtook on his miraculous return.

Thus, this particular prophetic miracle not only established the Prophet's eminence for Muslims as discussed above, but it also helped to prove his prophethood to the non-believers of his time.

Celebrating the Event

As far as the Muslims are concerned, there is no particular celebration, fast or prayer to commemorate Al-Isra and Al-Miraj. But in some places, the Muslims themselves have started to have commemorative functions, where the story of the night journey is told in poetry or lectures.

While the Prophet himself did not establish these practices, there are scholars who maintain that gatherings meant to remind the Muslims of the importance of Al-Miraj in the history of Islam, or to remind us of the importance of love for the Prophet and the significance of the city of Jerusalem, are permissible.

It has been reported by Abu Hurayrah رضى الله تعالى عنه that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has stated:“A
person at time utters words, to which he does not give any
significance, but which cause him to fall seventy years of distance into
the depths of Jahannam.”

Commentary:The Hadeeth in question
warns of irresponsible and reckless speech, in particular that which is
made to amuse people or make them laugh. It points to statements which
are hastily made and not duly considered. Usually people say things
without giving due consideration to the fact that these utterances,
however small and seemingly insignificant, can turn out to be dangerous
enough to invite the Anger of Allah and land them into the depths of
Jahannam. Backbiting, ridiculing, dishonoring and defaming people,
uttering words which imply kufr, can all, among many others, be included
in the list of such statements.

People might make such
statements either to amuse others or inadvertently. Either way they are
apt to produce untold damage. At times, seemingly insignificant
utterances can even strip a person of his Iman.اثبت أني مخطئة وسوف اعتنق الاسلام - د ذاكر نايك YouTube

It is narrated on the authority of Umar ibn al-Khattab who said: I heard the Messenger of God say:“All
actions are judged by motives, and each person will be rewarded
according to their intention. Thus, he whose migration was to God and
His Messenger, his migration is to God and His Messenger; but he whose
migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he
might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated.” (Saheeh
Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

This hadeeth is indeed one of the
greatest and most important of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad, may the
mercy and blessings of God be upon him, as it sets one of the most
important principles in the religion of Islam, specifically in regards
to the acceptance one’s religion and deeds by God, and generally to all
other normal every day activity in which a person involves himself. This
principle is that in order for any action to be accepted and thus
rewarded by God, it must be done purely for his sake. This concept is
often called “sincerity to God”, but the most exact meaning would be
“purity of intention”.

At one of the stages of the life of
the Prophet, God ordered all the Muslims to migrate from Mecca to the
newborn Islamic state of Medina. In this hadeeth, the Prophet gave an
example of two types of people in regards to this religious service of
migration:• The first example was that of the person who migrated to
Medina purely for the sake of God, seeking His Pleasure and seeking to
fulfill His command. The Prophet stated that the deed of this type of
person will be accepted by God and he will be rewarded in the fullest.

•
The second example was of a person who fulfilled this religious service
outwardly, but his intention was not the pleasure of God nor fulfilling
His Command, and so this type of person, although he may achieve what
he was intending in this life, will not receive reward for it from God,
and the deed is not one which is considered acceptable.In Islam,
there are two realms to a person’s life, the religious and the mundane.
Although there is a clear separation between the two in regards to
religious jurisprudence, they are in fact inseparable, as Islam is a
religion which legislates in matter family, society and politics as well
as the belief and worship of God. Thus, although this saying of the
Prophet appears to apply to the religious aspect of a persons’ life, it
actually applies to both.

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